The Friday Five: June 18, 2010
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“She” by Kiss (from Double Platinum, 1978)
I’ll admit to having a Beavis moment when this shuffled up first. No one does big dumb rock n’ roll better than Kiss. Well, early ‘70s Kiss, at any rate; I’m still not sure that I’d be willing to give it to them for anything past Dynasty. My Mother love telling the story of how, as a little kid, I would run screaming from my older cousin’s room, afraid of his black light Kiss posters. Thanks, Mom!
“Nothin’ at All” by Heart (from Heart, 1985)
It may be formulated arena rock, but I can’t help but love ‘80s Heart. I swear, to this day I will stop and turn up any of these singles when the come on the radio.
“La Isla Bonita” by Madonna (from The Immaculate Collection, 1990)
Someone needs to mash up Madge, Gaga and Ace of Base, because I’d probably pay to hear a masterful mix of “La Isla Bonita,” “Don’t Turn Around” and “Alejandro.” Fuck, as I’m listening to this song I’m singing “Don’t call my name, don’t call my name, Alejandro” in my head and it’s awesome.
“I’m the Magnificent” by Special Ed (from Youngest in Charge, 1989)
This is one of those party bomb records. Back in my DJ days, I always had a stash of record that would guarantee to get everyone on the floor and shaking their asses, and this was at the top of the heap, right next to “It Takes 2.” Hell, this came on in the headphone and I started wiggling in my seat.
“And We Danced” by The Hooters (from Nervous Night, 1985)
The iPod must know that I’m going to see Acoustic ‘80s tonight! Which reminds me, if you are in NYC, come on down to Wicked Willy’s – 149 Bleeker St (Laguardia Street) – and there is a good chance that you’ll find a slew of your favorite writers all rocking out to the acoustic styling’s of Jason Hare and Michael Burke. Now, I’ve just got to convince them to play this song!
What’s on your shuffle today?
12 Comments
Mindy
Ah, I love “Nothing At All”!!
Time or Place – Thomas Lee
Rinse – Vanessa Carlton
Make it Mine – Jason Mraz
Build God Then We’ll Talk – Panic at the Disco
My Beautiful Reward – Bruce Springsteen
Jason
Thanks for the plug! I’d love to do “And We Danced,” as we own both melodicas and mandolins — it’s just a matter of putting them down quickly and moving back to guitars!
Today, I’m listening to RADIOIO’s ’70s pop station, so my Friday Five is in their hands! I’ve been listening for an hour or so, but here’s what’s playing right now:
1) Honey Come – “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show.” Never even heard of this before, but it’s a nice little soul-dance song.
2) ABBA – “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.” Man, this station is cool. Just because I don’t know this ABBA song.
3) Eric Clapton – “Willie & the Hand Jive.” I have to be in a certain mood to hear Clapton and I’m not in that mood this morning. Also, it sounds like two different songs are playing at the same time. Oh wait, I had the website open as the same time as the stream in iTunes. Nevermind. At least I know I’m not crazy. Just stupid.
4) Marshall Tucker Band – ” Heard It In a Love Song.” I heard this on a tv show recently. I think it was “Breaking Bad.” It was just such a random choice.
Hang on, commercial.
5) Paul McCartney, “Silly Love Songs.” How appropriate, on Macca’s birthday! I like this song, but I love the opening way more than I love the rest of it.
There’s my Five! See you tonight!
Michael
I say work it into the arrangement! There is nothing like a short pause to get the anticipation up. That, or you could make Bill come up to play the guitar part.
Kristi
I was on a Madonna kick last week after “Borderline” came up on shuffle. “La Isla Bonita” is a winner.
I finally listened to Lady Gaga’s Fame Monster for the first time on the plane yesterday (thanks to Delta’s cool behind the seat TV thingy)… Twas okay, but for some reason I do not enjoy Alejandro much at all – maybe mashed up with Madonna & Ace of Base I would though. Hmmm.
And yes, yes, yes – any 80’s Heart gets cranked over here as well.
Anyway, here are my five! Have a blast tonight! Wish I could come! I heart Jason, I heart my favorite writers, and I heart the 80’s… bound to be an awesome night!
1) So Pure – Alanis Morissette (Y100’s Sonic Sessions)
2) Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (live on SNL)
3) One, Two … One – Say Hi
4) Feels So Good – Van Halen
5) Everything You Want – Vertical Horizon (Y100’s Sonic Sessions)
Mike
Have I mentioned yet that I’m a little bummed that I can’t make it to NYC tonight? I have? Well, anyway…
1) “When You Gonna Learn” by Jamiroquai-I was working at Tower Records when Jamiroquai’s first album came out in the U.S. My fellow employees were gaga for this album (a full four years before they blew up with “Virtual Insanity”. There were a lot of struggles trying to pronounce “Jamiroquai” correctly, though. This was also the first time I heard a didgeridoo.
2) “Light Up My Room” by Barenaked Ladies-The harmonies in this song are breathtaking. I’m sad that I won’t be able to hear Ed and Steven sing together anymore…until the inevitable reunion. What do we give it? Five years?
3) “I Won’t Let You Do That to Me” by Luther Vandross-Luther’s showing a little sass on this song. R&B could use him these days. What a shame.
4) “Loveless” by Paul Carrack-One of the all-time great blue eyed soul singers. It took forever to track down a hits collection by him on CD.
5) “Always Be My Baby (remix)” by Mariah Carey feat. Xscape & Da Brat-This was a nice little change of pace for Mariah before she totally hip-hopped out. Pretty sample of “Tell Me if You Still Care” by the SOS Band, too.
Michael
I’m pretty sure that everyone who worked in music retail in the early ’90s was onto Jamiroquai way before everyone because Sony/WORK was throwing promo’s, remixes and everything but the kitchen sink at us for them. I remember getting all sorts of Jamiroquai swag.
Awesome five, by the way.
Bill C
Leaving Las Vegas-Sheryl Crow. I remember liking this song a lot when it first came out. Now? Not so much. Probably because it got played to death. Or maybe because it just isn’t a good song.
Takes One to Know One-Johnny and June Carter Cash. From their “Duets” album. Probably the weak link on an otherwise fine release.
My Brave Face-Paul McCartney. Hey, another Mac song on his birthday! And this one is from a bootleg entitled “Happy Birthday America” from a Fourth of July show!
Do I Have to Come Right Out and Say It? Buffalo Springfield. This is such a great song. I love it.
Honky Tonkin-Hank Williams. Wow. This guy was just amazing. This is from the Original Singles Collection. A great song.
EightE1
Funky week. Spent the first part of it out of town, and the second back home, shuffling through the rubble of an intensely bad mood, for no good reason that I consciously have been able to understand. Perhaps, like casting the runes or flipping the Tarot cards, this week’s shuffle can give me some idea of what’s going on in my head.
Natalie Merchant, “San Andreas Fault.” Hmm … “Go west/Paradise is there/You’ll have all that you can eat/Of milk and honey over there.” I’m not much of a milk and honey guy, and I’m pretty much esconsed here in central PA for the forseeable future. Plus, isn’t the San Andreas Fault where all the nasty earthquakes emerge from? I’ve always wanted to experience a real earthquake — nothing enormous, just enough to let me know that yes, the ground is indeed shaking beneath me. As far as my mood goes, there aren’t any clues here. Lots of milk and hone, though.
Black Label Society,”What’s in You.” Oh, this is more like it. My inner voices sound like Zakk Wylde most days. The dirgy pace and detuned guitars are pretty much dead on. “Helter Skelter running through my veins/Satan’s coming, on his way.” I don’t believe in Satan, though, at least not outside the context of Meat Loaf album covers and Black Sabbath songs. Maybe I’m doomed and that doom shall come soon. I turn 40 next month; perhaps that’s when I’ll have to deal with Satan. I wonder if he’ll look like Dick Cheney …
Anders Osborne, “Got Your Heart.” New Anders from a record I haven’t really listened to yet. I have a friend who regards this man as god-like. It’s nice, but I just don’t grasp divinity when I hear it. Pleasant enough trifle, but I’m not getting any insights on my emotional condition.
Tracey Ullman, “They Don’t Know.” [sigh] I miss Kirsty MacColl. How horrible her death was — could it possibly be a decade since she passed? I remember listening to Vin Scelsa (probably a rebroadcast of his wonderful Web radio show called “Live at Lunch”) when I heard about Kirsty. Wow. This song usually makes me happy — recalling early adolescence, hearing it on the radio (it’s such a perfect radio song, isn’t it? Like it was tailor-made for AM radio in particular). That inexplicable wave of emotion that washes over you when the warmth of a fond memory comes up. Of course, mentioning waves in the same paragraph as Kirsty MacColl probably is in poor taste. I can’t do much right tonight.
Patty Griffin, “Kite Song.” So why not end with one of the most profoundly sad songs any algorithm could randomly toss in front of me? Such an amazing verse: “Little sister just remember as you wander through the blue / The little kite that you send flying on a Sunday afternoon / Made of something light as nothing / Made of joy that matters too / How the little dreams we dream / Are all we can really do.” The song is meant to signify hope — she wrote it for a friend who was depressed over the state of the world — but it’s delivered against a sad melody; a halting, haunted piano; and Griffin’s voice at its most vulnerable. I shed tears when I saw her perform it live years ago; I’m trying hard to refrain from repeating that tonight.
Michael
Brother Rob, you were in our thoughts and stories all night.
EightE1
Thank you, man. I appreciate that.
Pete
Hope y’all are having a great time tonight in NYC. I tweeted a request for a group photo, which you guys so far have completely IGNORED, but oh well… I want stories…
1. The Cars – “It’s Not The Night” – I picked up Heartbeat City a few weeks back. Just because. This may be considered one of the filler tracks, but who cares, the Cars are awesome.
2. Parliament Funkadelic – “One Nation Under a Groove” – Fitting, since one of the long time members, Gary “diaperman” Shider just passed a few days ago from cancer. RIP. From a bootleg called ‘Afrolicious and the Electric Pussy’.
3. The Damnwells – “Closer Than We Are” – recommended by the Popdose crew. Still haven’t given it the time it deserves.
4. Bob Schneider – “Candyman” – soulful stuff from the Austin workaholic.
5. Carbon / Silicon – “Be Good” – Mick Jones and Tony James. If Mick’s singing, I’m listening.
Michael
I believe Kelly has the group shot, it was difficult to wrangle us all into one frame!